Many entities have dedicated communications systems that enable computers, servers, printers, facsimile machines and the like to communicate with each other, through a private network, and with remote locations via a telecommunications service provider. Such communications systems may be hard wired through, for example, the walls and/or ceilings of a facility using communications cables that typically contain eight conductive wires. The eight conductive wires are arranged as four differential twisted pairs of conductors that may be used to transmit four separate differential signals. In such hard wired systems, individual connector ports such as RJ-45 style modular wall jacks (also referred to as telecommunications outlets) are mounted in locations (e.g., offices, conference rooms, reception areas, etc.) throughout the facility. The communications cables electrically connect each telecommunications outlet to network equipment (e.g., network servers, routers, switches, servers, etc.) that may be located in a computer room. Communications cables from external telecommunication service providers may also terminate within the computer room.
Typically, the information signals transmitted between networked devices (e.g., a desk top computer and network server) are transmitted over a pair of conductors rather than over a single conductor. The cascaded plugs, jacks and cabling segments that provide connectivity between two end devices (e.g., a desk top computer and network server, etc.) is referred to as a channel.
The communications cables may be connected to the network equipment through a communications patching system. Typically, a communications patching system includes a plurality of “patch panels” that are io mounted on one or more equipment racks. As is known to those of skill in the art, a “patch panel” refers to an inter-connection device that includes a plurality of connector ports such as, for example, RJ-45 style communications jacks, on a front side thereof. Each connector port (e.g., a jack) is configured to receive a first communications cable that is terminated with a mating connector (e.g., a plug). Typically, a second communications cable is terminated into the reverse side of each connector port by terminating the eight conductive wires of the cable into corresponding insulation displacement contacts of the connector port. Each connector port on the patch panel may provide communications paths between a first communications cable that is plugged into the front side of the connector port and a second communications cable that is terminated into the reverse side of the connector port. The communications patching system may optionally include a variety of additional equipment such as rack managers, system managers and other devices that facilitate making and/or tracking interconnections between networked devices.
FIG. 1A illustrates a conventional communications cable 10, such as a Category 5 (CAT5) cable that includes eight wires twisted together to form four pairs 12, 14, 16, 18. Conventionally, each pair is color coded with one wire having a solid color (blue, orange, green or brown) twisted around a second wire with a white background and a stripe of the same color (i.e., blue, orange, green or brown). Each wire includes a conductive element surrounded by insulation that contains the color code on an outside surface thereof. FIG. 1B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the communications cable 10 of FIG. 1A illustrating the “pair orbit” of the four twisted pairs. The term “pair orbit” refers to the orientation of the twisted pairs relative to each other. For example, beginning with the pair at the top left in FIG. 1B and moving clockwise, the cable has a pair orbit of Blue 12, Orange 18, Brown 16, and Green 14.
A twisted pair communications channel typically has a maximum length of about 328 feet. Beyond this length there is a risk of signal loss and other complications. However, because of the layout of various facilities, this length is typically comprised of a number of interconnected cable segments. As such, multiple cables are often required to be connected together in series in a particular channel. During cabling installation, a technician interconnects these cables together by means of connecting hardware (e.g., plugs, outlets, patch panels, etc.) such that each differential pair is continuous in the connected channel. In other words, it is important for the blue pair in a first cable to be connected to the blue pair in a second cable, for the orange pair in the first cable to be connected to the orange pair in the second cable, for the green pair in the first cable to be connected to the green pair in the second cable, and for the brown pair in the first cable to be connected to the brown pair in the second cable, etc. In order to accomplish this and maintain proper pair orbit, connectors are conventionally utilized to join cables together in a communications channel. Unfortunately, this can be detrimental to channel performance since these conventional connectors can aggravate various types of signal impairments, such as crosstalk and impedance mismatching. Moreover, the structure of conventional connector plugs and jacks can add to capacitive loading which may be detrimental to channel performance.